Tricks for removing lug nuts

I got a new set of wheels/tires for my 91. I was able to loosen all but 1 lug nut.

I've read lots of suggestions, but need to know, how do I proceed with doing the least damage?

What's involved with replacing the studs if it comes to that?

Thanks

CTM

Reply to
testert555
Loading thread data ...

Soak with penetrating oil, wait a day or so. Heat the lug nut with a torch, if the current wheels on the vehicle are steel. Wear safety goggles, lots of people don't. Try a commercial nut splitter, if there is room to get it on there. Grind off a side of the nut, with an electric grinder or a Dremel and a lot of patience. Then when you put some torque on it with a socket, it should loosen up. Some people prefer to go straight to the chisel stage. Make sure that it is a sharp one. Air chisel?

Once you get the nut off, and the drum if it is on the back, you should be able to tap the stud out the back with a hammer. Don't inadvertently hit one of the other studs when you do this.

Earle

*** Posted via a free Usenet account from
formatting link
***
Reply to
Earle Horton

Is WD40 good enough to use?

Reply to
testert555

pb blaster is good to use

Reply to
Jeeper

If you have a month or more to wait....

A proper penetrating oil is better. WD40 displaces water really well so is good to use on wires and inside the distributor cap, but it is crap for penetrating oil.

Hitting the nut with a hammer can help or a good fitting socket and a breaker bar. When they are bad like that I hope to break them rather than strip them. It is an easy job to replace a snapped stud, trying to hack a stripped one out of the rim with a chisel or drill is a pain in the butt....

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06
formatting link
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
Reply to
Mike Romain

It's not good, it's the best!

Reply to
B A R R Y

Have you rounded off the nut yet? If not, then you just need to use more force... I've found that I can put more torque on my lug nuts with a T-handle lug wrench than my air powered impact wrench can exert to remove the nut... If all else fails, put a cheater bar on your lug wrench... If you still can't break it loose with a 4-6 ft cheater bar, either you're a wimp or someone welded your lug nut to your rim...

Reply to
Grumman-581

Yep.. And it's farily cheap.

Works way better than any other penertating oil I've tried. As for WD-40, it won't do a darn thing.

Reply to
DougW

testert555 did pass the time by typing:

Ah.. someone probably spun them on with an air wrench. Never use an air wrench to torque lugnuts, always use a torque wrench. It's especially important on disc brakes.

Mark the one that won't come off with a marker, put the other ones back on. Go to a local auto shop and ask if the mechanic could hit that nut with an impact wrench.

What ever you do, don't lean on a lugnut wrench... if the bolt or the stud goes you could wind up eating pavement. A 3' breaker bar and six point socket works for me on most. Just remember where the bar is going to go if it lets loose. :O

Hammer the old one out, lube up a new one, use the tire (or a thick bit of pipe/washers, and lugnut to suck the new one in) Not that hard, it just depends on how bad the rust is.

Reply to
DougW

I had a whopper last year. Both rear tires had those crappy lugs with the chrome covers on them. Spun 3 on one and another on the other tire. Thought I would have to cut the lugs and screw up my rims. But no..These did wonders, if you work on your car you got to ger this set of tools from sears..Cost $20.. Craftsman Bolt-OutT Damaged Bolt/Nut Remover Set Sears item #00952160000 Mfr. model #52160

these saved me..plus a 1/2 air impact..more they turn the tighter they grab..

Reply to
Scott S.

WD40's main claim to fame, is that it displaces water. It doesn't do much for rust though.

Earle

*** Posted via a free Usenet account from
formatting link
***
Reply to
Earle Horton

Good advice, use the chisel only if normal stuff doesn't do it. My best chisel technique is to select a drill that is almost as wide as the sides of the nut at the hex points, drill two holes in-line with the stud on opposite sides, then use the chisel to split it, also pounding it in the direction in-line with the stud. A narrow chisel can do this inside the boss on deep-hole aluminum wheels.

Reply to
Stupendous Man

It also looks really cool when you spray it onto a flame .

Jeff DeWitt

Earle Hort> WD40's main claim to fame, is that it displaces water. It doesn't do much

Reply to
Jeff DeWitt

Yeah, that is how we got our camp fire started this weekend when everyone forgot the lighter fluid and the wood was a little wet... wasn't safe but did get the job done.

Reply to
aGraham

aGraham did pass the time by typing:

You can also try this one. Take some cardboard and cut it to 2"x2" stick a strike anywhere match into one of the holes (or a couple) so the head just barely sticks out. Dip the thing in hot wax. Let it dry and store in a ziplock bag. (keeps any melting wax from getting on things in the car) The wax keeps the match safe and dry and the rest acts as a real good firestarter. Used them all the time camping and rafting.

Reply to
DougW

I like Coghlan's Fire Paste, Mautz Fire Ribbon or the equivalent, and a Bic butane lighter all packed in a Zip-Loc bag. Total weight about five ounces.

Earle

*** Posted via a free Usenet account from
formatting link
***
Reply to
Earle Horton

In article , snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote: #I got a new set of wheels/tires for my 91. I was able to loosen all #but 1 lug nut. Put the other 4 back on. Get them nice and *hand*tool* tight.

Did the cap come off the lug nut? If it did, you now have a metric lug nut. 17mm or 18mm, iirc. If you still have the cap, you can use it to "adapt" the metric lug nut back to a 3/4" one. The problem is that the sheet metal is kinda fragile and it only works once or twice before the sheet metal tears.

#I've read lots of suggestions, but need to know, how do I proceed with #doing the least damage?

Go to Sears and buy this or something equivalent to it:

formatting link
You can also use a flex head handle without the ratchet:
formatting link
just find the ratchet is more useful overall... You want the longer handle. This way, you don't need a cheater bar.

The flex head lets you have a bit more working room away from the sidewall while still remaining fairly close to the lug nut. The problem with most tire irons is that it seems that half your effort is being used to keep the tire iron from slipping off the lug nut and that you can never get enough leverage. Never mind most have cheapie

6-point sockets made out of pot metal.

Use a 12-point 3/4 inch socket (if your cap came off, then you will need a 12-point 18mm (or was it 17mm?) socket).

If the lug nut is totally stripped to hell, then you will need this:

formatting link
Once you loosen the bad nut tiny bit, leave it on and loosen the other nuts a tiny bit in a star pattern, then loosen the bad one again and repeat.

If you have stock sheet-metal covered lug nuts, replace them with good quality solid ones.

#What's involved with replacing the studs if it comes to that? Front or rear?

/herb

Reply to
Herb Leong

yep those bolt removers from sears are great that were mentioned monday

formatting link

Reply to
Scott S.

Herb Leong did pass the time by typing:

Not to hijack the thread, but what is up with the metal cap crap? Guess it's one better than snap on plastic but sheesh...

I lost one of mine on the ZJ, but up till then never realized they were metal covers. Plan on getting some new (solid) lugnuts next time.

On the plus side, once that metal comes off you basically have a locking lugnut. :)

Reply to
DougW

It's an 18mm when the cap comes off.....

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >

formatting link

Reply to
Mike Romain

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.